Coming in from the Cold
by Engrailed
Summary: A Machine's undercover work is interrupted by a new threat to the Matrix. MxO fanfic, ties into the Resolution Corp events on the Recursion server. And thank you everyone whose characters made guest appearances in this story.
1. Chapter 1

Coming in from the Cold, Part One

With some trepidation, I entered the Machine building in MegaCity's Tabor Park section. Agent Gray's tone had been neutral, but my many years of observation of human and program -- both system and exile -- had made me an excellent reader of hidden intent. I could tell that Gray wasn't calling me in for a simple courier assignment. The mission controller for the Machines' human operatives hadn't told me why I was being summoned, just that I was needed.

I passed by my former colleagues, getting more than a few curious glances. Was there something wrong with my appearance? For the most part, they generally didn't look twice at the human operatives who entered their private domain. It was only right after the Truce had gone into effect, when I was still myself, that they'd ever seemed surprised to see humans in their midst. But that was years ago, and no-one here knew who or what I really was, apart from Gray. To the other agents, I was nothing more than a typical human operative, a redpill who understood that the system granted stability and safety to the vast majority of humanity – they saw me as someone who would protect that stability, and in turn protect 99% of the human race.

"Ms.. Young?" one of them said, pausing a fraction of a second too long for it to be comfortable. "Agent Gray will see you now."

"Thank you," I replied, feeling somewhat self conscious at the scrutiny as I stepped through the door into Gray's office.

Gray had been facing the window, looking out over Tabor plaza, but at my entrance he turned towards me. In his hands was a file that was nearly an inch thick. Oh no. Was this about some infraction I'd committed, something that had finally pushed me over the edge? The overwriting process that had placed me - my consciousness, my code - into the Zionite called Grail had been several years ago; and as 'Engrailed', I'd been sent into the Cypherite organization to keep tabs on them for the Machines. Since becoming a redpill I'd performed my duties efficiently. But lately, the Cypherites had been working more in tandem with Machine goals, and my reports on their negative activities had become less frequent. I'd had more time to experience what the simulation and the real world had to offer, and my mind had been free to expand. And expand it had. In that time I'd befriended humans and exiles, taunted the Smith virus into a blind rage, and used stolen codes to access the last of my host body's memories. I'd felt myself becoming something I hadn't been before, and even though it was new and strange, I hadn't been fighting it. I'd embraced it.

My former colleague Mr. Barnsley had said it was only a matter of time before I crossed the line to something the Machines would no longer accept. I would be deleted, or killed, or exiled when I was no longer useful, or when my original coding had been too corrupted by my human body. I'd told Tranque, the Merovingian operative who'd helped me see Grail's last memories, that I didn't know what I was anymore. That may have been true, but it didn't change what I was feeling right now.

I didn't want to die.

"Ms. Young."

"Agent Gray," I replied, keeping my voice steady. I remembered how he'd once been crippled by the Smith virus, when the former agent had been a threat to both the simulation and our own civilization, and how Gray had wanted to return to the Source after he was freed from Smith's influence. Instead, the Machines had made him the mission controller of their redpill operatives, once the truce with Zion went into effect. And just as I'd adjusted to my new situation, Gray had adjusted to his. We were both sentient programs, after all. Now he would fight a return to the Source as fiercely as I would.

"Ms. Young, your service to us has been invaluable, even more so in the past few years," Gray said. "But there is something now that requires our attention, something for which I believe your skills would be well suited." He passed me the dossier.

"Nine9," I read from the first line of the file. "What is Nine9?"

"Possibly the greatest threat to the simulation since the Truce was broken."

I paged through the documents, frowning at what I saw. "What do you want me to do?"

"Infiltrate them. Find out everything you can, and report back to us. There are a number of Machinist operatives investigating the group as well, but as you well know, they are only human."

I read more of the file, feeling guilty but relieved at the same time. Here I'd been worried about saving my own skin rather than the safety of the simulation. How.. human of me.

"This supersedes all prior orders and assignments, Ms. Young. This is of the utmost importance, and takes precedence over your work within the Cypherite organization, even over the need to continue concealing your true identity. Not that you haven't already shared it with several others, most of whom are exiles," he said pointedly, ignoring my sharp intake of breath at the acknowledgement that yes, the Machines knew full well what I'd been doing in my off-hours. "You must understand the magnitude of this operation. Use any and all means at your disposal, and be watchful of humans who appear to be one thing but may be another. But there are some you can trust, Taylor. Look for them."

Hearing my actual name was a subtle shock, an indication of the gravity of the situation, and I bowed my head slightly to Gray. I hadn't been called Taylor by a Machine program since I'd been one of them.

I swallowed hard and made my way out.


	2. Chapter 2

Coming in from the Cold, Part Two

The dossier I'd received from Agent Gray indicated that a redpill group called Resolution Corp was on the trail of Nine9. However, not much information on the group had been gathered. Resolution was investigating a loosely organized collection of hackers that were disrupting elements of the simulation, mainly on the Recursion instance. Interestingly enough, Resolution appeared to be run by Cypherites (although members of all organizations were welcome). Their leader was Sandra Crimson, also called ExorCiism, and she handled most of the day to day operations. Another redpill who was involved was Rejex, one of the liaisons between the Cypherites and their leaders, although I didn't know how deeply. I'd never worked with either of these humans, but my status as a known Cypherite on the other two instances of the simulation probably got me into Resolution quicker than most others.

Given all the effort I was putting into investigating Nine9, I would have felt I was neglecting my regular duties, if they hadn't already been so sparse. The two leaders of the Cypherite movement hadn't been issuing many orders lately. Cryptos had retreated to whatever safe place he had in the real, and Veil was still basking in the victory of Shimada's death. Truth be told, I couldn't keep myself from smiling whenever I thought about how Shimada was no longer a threat to the simulation. I was inordinately pleased that EPN's co-leader was dead, but since then Cypherite operations in the Megacity had been few and far between. Lately, I'd mainly been helping with combat training for operatives with low neurokinetic levels, but for the most part that was the extent of my duties. This made it easier to slip into the Matrix for side activities like Resolution, as well as for certain non-business reasons. I tried to avoid the Syntax and Vector instances, where I was better known, for such unofficial activities. It was Recursion where I could relax my guard somewhat.. but to be truthful, I could never really relax.

My former colleague Agent Gray had told me that I didn't need to guard my identity so closely anymore, but in no way did that mean I was safe to speak of it openly. The redpills hadn't been happy when they found out about our overwriting program, which we'd learned from our analysis of what former Agent Smith had done to the redpill called Bane. The Cypherites were probably the angriest of them all, given the revelation that Cryptos was a victim of it. The process had been more extensive with him than the other humans who'd been overwritten. So, unlike the rest of us, the program inside Cryptos had access to the human's memories, even his personality, and not even Seraph had been able to completely extract the code from the man.

No doubt Veil and most other Cypherites wouldn't hesitate to kill another overwritten human in their midst. I was thankful I could jack in anonymously, from a hoverbarge, but it still didn't keep me from barricading the door to my quarters every night before I could fall asleep.

I tried not to think about any of these uncomfortable truths, preferring to concentrate on my mission. And I was successful. Soon after my acceptance into Resolution Corp, I met with their leader ExorCiism, who sat down with me in a tearoom in the International District, where she told me her strange vision of the future. She gave me a disk with a virus on it and told me to keep it safe, saying not to tell anyone else about it. I dutifully agreed, even though she wouldn't tell me what the virus did or what purpose was behind it. There had been something about the way she'd described her plan that wasn't quite right. It was nothing specific, but I felt it warranted closer examination.

I shook her hand and bowed. But after leaving the restaurant I hardlined to Tabor, then headed straight to the Machine building. Maybe ExorCiism wouldn't tell me what the virus was for, but I was certain the Machines could.


	3. Chapter 3

Coming in from the Cold, Part Three

I'd been working my way up in Resolution Corp when it all came together. Or, as the humans would say, when it all hit the fan.

I'd been part of the interrogation that had led to the first actual mention of Nine9. I was chosen to take an active role in it, which was a bit of a switch for me. Naturally I'd participated in interrogations prior to becoming a redpill, but most of the time it was my partners that did the questioning. Often all I had to do was to be a silent, threatening presence, watching the humans squirm and become more and more unnerved until they finally broke. I could also be counted on for physical displays of force. I was pleased to know that I used to be considered very intimidating. But I was well aware that wouldn't work now - it was hard to loom menacingly over a prisoner when I looked like a teenage girl with facepaint and a blond pony tail. Even so, we were able to get some useful information out of our captive. The mention of Nine9 and someone called TheCodeSniffer put us on the trail of the people behind this new threat to the simulation. But what a shock when that trail led back to ExorCiism herself, and the knowledge that she, Sandra Crimson, was TheCodeSniffer, the one behind the hackers and Nine9 from the start!

Nine9 said they were going to 'save' us; that is, save humanity. I was still trusted by Sandra, so when they announced they were looking for people to join them, I contacted her and said I was interested – that I wanted to live. It was the truth, but not the whole truth. One of the characteristics of sentient Machine programs is that we were always meant to consider the precedence of the group over our own individual lives. Ingrained in us was the concept that everyone not working together could lead to the fragmentation of our civilization, with different factions vying for control and power. And then we'd be no better than the humans, with their constant infighting and wars. When one of us started putting their own wants and desires over the interests of our society, it was usually the first step towards exile. (Or deletion, but a program who'd developed those traits could usually find a way to avoid it, as was evident by many of the members of the Merovingian's organization.) Neither death nor deletion appealed to me. But the best lies always carried a bit of truth in them, so it was easy to sound as if I was concerned for my survival, and that I would support Nine9 if they could guarantee I would live.

I was on my way to a covert meeting with TheCodeSniffer when I received a call from Agent Gray. I was very surprised to hear the command to abort the operation immediately, and questioned why now, when I was so close to infiltrating Nine9, would the orders come down to abandon it?

"You are in danger," he said. There were obviously people near him, presumably human, because they were speaking agitatedly in the background. I could just make out a few words. Kidnapped was one of them, Rejex another, jack-pulling still more. "Get out, Ms. Young. Get out now. Leave the simulation and await further orders. Until then, do not speak to anyone regarding Nine9 or this operation."

The orders were confirmed. I ran for the nearest hardline.


	4. Chapter 4

Coming in from the Cold, Part Four

I moved quickly through Mara's crowd of redpills. There was an abundance of Machinists tonight, swarming like sentinels whenever a Zionite or Merovingian operative opened themselves to sparring. Nobody seemed to notice me, but Gray's message could mean only one thing – that Nine9 had learned who and what I was, and therefore they were probably hunting me. I wondered how they'd found out. Maybe they'd hacked a Machine database, or more likely, EPN (and their Nine9 allies) had figured out why Tranque and I hacked theirs.

Many new facts had come to light in recent days, including the revelation that the EPN liaison Pentothal had been a double agent, and responsible for Shimada's death. Then there were the deaths of several other liaisons, including the Cypherite Tranta on the Syntax instance. I'd worked with him, and I'd felt a stab of regret in my heart when I found out he was dead, even though I knew he might have killed me himself if he'd known I was actually a Machine program in a redpill's body. EPN was probably on high alert once they'd learned about Pentothal, and they'd probably searched through all their computers for any possible security breaches. I couldn't be sure if my identity had been discovered accidentally or if it had been deliberately sought out.

All these hidden motivations, deceit, and betrayals among the humans.. once I would have said I was glad I was a Machine, but I knew now we were just as capable of such things. I didn't mean our hiding the truth about the Matrix, of course - that deception had to be maintained for the sake of the bluepills, as well as our own civilization. But even so - even given our necessary concealment of the truth regarding the nature of reality - the human race far outmatched us when it came to duplicity.

Nine9 had declared that humans should be the sole masters of this world, and there were others outside their group, especially in Zion, who believed that too. And the redpills wondered why we didn't completely trust them? I could only hope Nine9 hadn't made my identity common knowledge, that they hadn't informed everyone on the hoverbarge that "Engrailed' was actually a program-overwritten human. Even a redpill from a friendly organization might want revenge for what was essentially the death of one of their own race. I clenched my teeth. Damn the humans. They were treacherous, warlike, and not to be trusted.

As soon as the words formed in my mind, I knew they weren't fair, or true. Beliefs like that only led to more war. Some humans were trustworthy, after all, and Gray had told me to seek them out. But talk was cheap, and trust had to be earned. And I'd done nothing to earn anybody's trust. I hid behind a mask of humanity, and then behind another mask as a Cypherite. I'd been altered from one of the Matrix's protectors into an infiltrator, something based on lies and deceit. And now, with the changes in me from my human side, even my loyalty to the Machines was suspect.

What if this was a trap?

My hand hovered over the phone at the hardline. Had it really come down to this? Was I really afraid not just of the redpills, but of my own people as well?

My cell phone rang. With a moment of hesitation, I answered it.

"Leave the simulation at once, Ms. Young. You're in great danger."

I thought I recognized the man's voice coming over the Machine channel, but I couldn't place it. "Who is this?"

"The person who's going to get you out of this alive."

"How do I know you're telling me the truth?"

"Gray told you to await further instructions; I'm giving them to you. Jack out now and I'll guide you once you're in the real." There was a snort of exasperation. "Taylor, I thought that human body they gave you would have had a sense of self preservation built into it. You have to leave now. They're coming for you. I don't think they're on your ship yet, but they will be soon."

I knew I would be dead if a real-world enemy got to me while I was still jacked into the simulation. I didn't have any choice but to do as he said. "What do I do once I'm out?"

"Go back to your quarters and get the comlink our courier just dropped off, so I can talk to you on the outside. It's on the ledge by the cabin door."

"Alright." I took the hardline's phone from the receiver, holding it up to my other ear. "I hope you're right about them not being on the ship."

"Just trust me," were the last words I heard from him, right before I jacked out.


	5. Chapter 5

Coming in from the Cold, Part Five

I tried to maintain some semblance of normalcy, as I walked from the broadcast bay back to the tiny quarters I'd been allotted. Every sound was a potential sign of danger, and I had to keep myself from jumping any time I heard footsteps behind me. But once I was inside, I found the comlink almost immediately, right where my contact said it would be.

I glanced at the mirror next to my bunk. The facepaint I wore in the simulation was quite effective in hiding my true features, making me almost unrecognizable in the real. And I always wore my hair down out here, so in addition to making me look even less like my rsi in the Matrix, it also covered the comlink in my ear.

I turned on the mechanism that was my only connection to my contact. "Hello?"

"I hear you," he replied.

I was grateful that it worked, but I did have some questions. "How are you still able to contact me? Aren't you in the simulation?"

"Our conversation earlier was routed through the Matrix, but I'm not in the simulation at the moment. Right now I'm hacking into your vessel's com system on a very low frequency. Makes it less noticeable."

That seemed logical. "What happens next? How do I get off the hoverbarge?"

"You need to head towards the aft section of the ship, where the docking bays are. That's the only way out that won't register on the scanners as an unauthorized breach. There are a bunch of storage rooms and maintenance shafts there, you should be able to keep out of sight until you can get to one of the hatches to the outside. Don't worry, I'll guide you every step of the way, just like Morpheus led Neo through the Metacortex building all those years ago."

"Neo was captured that day," I reminded him, as I slipped into the corridor. "Who are you, really?"

"Taylor, I don't remember you being this paranoid. Or paranoid at all. You used to be kind of bland."

That wasn't the answer I wanted. "You try living like this, with all these neurotransmitters and hormones and who knows what else influencing your higher functions."

"You should be quieter, people will think you're talking to yourself if they see you." There was a moment of silence. "Speaking of Neo, did you ever fight him? While you were still a normal agent?"

"No." I glanced over my shoulder, making certain no one was in the area before I spoke again. "Smith, Brown, and Jones were assigned to him first, and after that it was Johnson, Thompson, and Jackson. I never encountered him directly. My team was usually involved in hunting down other threats to the simulation."

There was another brief pause. "Regular agents then," he said. "How many humans and exiles have you killed?"

"I don't remember." That was the truth. I intensely disliked that I no longer had total recall. I knew I'd killed many of them over the years, but I couldn't give him an exact number, and it bothered me. "Why are you asking me all these questions?"

"I'm making conversation."

I had a feeling that he was doing it to keep me distracted. "May I ask you a question?"

"Yes, that would be fair. You'll get an answer for each one you give me."

"You asked me if I'd ever fought Neo. I'd like to know if you ever did."

"That's classified, for now. But I can tell you once you're safely off that ship."

I mulled that over. I was winding my way through the hoverbarge, trying to avoid high traffic areas until I reached an exit point. "May I ask another question?"

"Yes."

"Are you human, or are you a Machine program?"

"I'm a Machine program, a good one, just as you were."

I'd suspected that, which is why I'd asked if he'd ever fought Neo. "What kind of program are you?"

"That's another question. You only get one at a time, unless you answer another question for me first."

"You didn't answer my question about Neo, I should get an extra one."

"I'll answer it, once you're safely at the rendezvous point. But go ahead and ask another one, a different one, if you'd like."

My eyes narrowed. "You said you were a good Machine program, and that I was too." I stopped for a moment. I had a different question now, one whose answer was of more interest to me than my contact's identity. This was something that had haunted me for some time, and I didn't know if I really wanted the answer. "If I was so good, why did they send me away?"

There was a brief pause. "Sometimes, Taylor, we're needed for duties other than those we were originally programmed for," he said. "New situations arise, and our superiors determine which of us are the best people for the job. They wouldn't have given you this assignment if you weren't. That's why you were chosen. This wasn't a punishment, Taylor. It's about as far from a punishment as it could be."

I still wanted to know who he was, but I would let it drop for now. "So this was a reward? An honor?"

"In a way."

I'd finally reached the aft section of the hoverbarge. "Right now I'm having a hard time believing it."

"Trust me."

"You keep saying that."

"I know, but – hang on.."

"What is it?"

"A small shuttle just docked with your vessel, and three humans have boarded."

A cold shiver went down my spine. "I'm right on top of the docking bays now. Who are they?"

I could hear the worry in his voice. "It's Nine9. And it looks like they have some pretty serious tracking equipment on them."

My heart started beating faster. "How do I get by them?"

"Down the corridor, you'll see a door to your left. Go through it and – dammit, they're heading straight for you. Run, Taylor. Run now."


	6. Chapter 6

Coming in from the Cold, Part Six

"Through that door, now make a right – go to the next door and then down the ladder to the next lower level. Hurry, Taylor."

I did as he requested. Up until now I'd tried to be quiet, but there was no way to disguise the pounding of my footsteps as I ran. It was almost a match for the pounding in my chest. I couldn't help but think back to the first time my human heart raced like this – but that time it had been in exhilaration, not fear. That brought back even more memories. I remembered the first time I laughed, and the first time I wept. I remembered both of my meetings with the Oracle, the first time pre-Truce, the second after I'd overwritten the human redpill called Grail, after I was sent to infiltrate the Cypherites.

"Good, good, keep following that corridor, now take the door to your left."

At our last meeting, Sandra Crimson had asked me if I'd ever met the Oracle. She didn't ask for the circumstances, so I didn't need to lie. She was only interested in what the Oracle had said to me. (She asked that question of everyone in Resolution Corp.) So I didn't tell her my initial meeting with the Oracle was more than twenty years before, long before Neo and even longer before the emergency jackout protocol was developed. But I remembered it like it was yesterday. My partners and I were in pursuit of a pair of redpills through the housing developments of Mannsdale, and I was searching the courtyards between the buildings when I came across the Oracle. She was sitting on a bench, feeding the pigeons, and looking for all the world like she was waiting for me to arrive.

"Hello, Agent Taylor."

There was a brief moment where I didn't know what to do. We all knew who she was, of course, but at the time no agents knew about the cycles of the Matrix or that the Oracle was behind the prophecy of the One. What we did know was that she'd been helping the Zionites. That should have made her want to avoid any encounters with system programs, but here she was. With her abilities, though, she should have been able to avoid us easily. Why was she sitting here if she would have known I was going to be here too?

"You are not authorized—" I began.

"I know, I know, I'm not authorized in this area. Are you going to arrest me?"

Was I? My request for further instructions was still pending. "Where did the humans go? Which building?" I demanded.

"Put your gun away, Agent Taylor, they've already reached their exit. And you're not going to shoot me."

I frowned. If she said I wouldn't shoot her, she was probably right. But if she hadn't said it, would I have? I didn't know the extent of her future-predicting abilities. I decided not to dwell on the philosophy of the question, and contacted my partners instead. "Targets lost."

"How do you think those people felt while you were hunting them?" she asked casually, going back to feeding the pigeons. "How did you think they felt, while they were your 'targets'? How would you have felt if you were the one being hunted?"

I frowned again. If she wasn't going to be helpful, I wasn't going to stay. So I turned, planning to return to my partners, but before I could leave she spoke again. "To regain your life, you must be willing to lose it. Those redpills already knew that, but you might want to remember it too." I hadn't understand what she meant, so I kept walking. I still didn't. But now that I was running for my own life, hearing the footsteps of my pursuers behind me, I couldn't help but feel sympathy for the redpills I used to hunt.

That feeling would probably disqualify me from ever returning to my original duties, even if I could shed this human body and again become what I was created to be.

"You're almost there, Taylor, the hatch to the outside is about fifty yards ahead of you. Take one of the LEDs on your way out, if you can, it'll make things easier in the tunnels."

My hands were shaking when I reached the hatch, but as I spun the handle I was able to grab one of the LEDs. I stumbled a bit as I jumped down to the floor of the immense cavern. At least the hoverbarge wasn't moving.

"Do you see where the tunnel branches near the far wall? Head for the furthest one on the right. Once you're in there, follow it up – keep going straight, don't turn around or take any of the side passages. We'll get to you as fast as we can."

I took off running again, so I was short of breath when I asked him my next question. "Should I be looking for a Machine transport or sentinels?"

"Neither, we're on a hovercraft."

"A human ship?"

"Yes."

Was this wise? "How do I know they won't want to kill me too?"

My contact snorted in exasperation. "They're Machinists, Taylor. Gray explained everything to them, and they want to help."

I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. "Agent Gray told them about me, about what I was?"

"Yes. They know what you are, and – dammit, those Nine9 operatives are outside the barge now. I think they see you –" Some type of weapon fire flashed over my head. "Get into that tunnel, fast. We're almost there. Save your breath, Taylor, don't talk, just run, and get to the rendezvous point."


	7. Chapter 7

Coming in from the Cold, Part Seven

I wouldn't have thought it possible, but I managed to push my body to move even faster, especially after another energy discharge hit the rock wall behind me. At least one of my pursuers was also using a projectile weapon, but I wasn't going to turn to see who was firing the bullets and who was using the anti-sentinel guns. The Nine9ers seemed to be firing randomly in my direction…the tunnel was a lot darker than the cavern the hoverbarge was in, making it harder for them to aim properly. I couldn't see very well either, but I certainly wasn't going to risk using an LED and make myself an easier target.

The irony that I had three pursuers wasn't lost on me. The Machines had determined that it the most efficient grouping for agents, and it was probably just as effective for humans. The immediate predecessors of the current agents of the System had been full squads of soldiers, which hadn't worked out as well. Those soldiers we'd replaced had looked down on us, calling us emotionless, but it was their emotions that sometimes got the better of them, making them careless enough during chases to disregard collateral damage to the bluepills. No wonder the remaining ones had been exiled. I'd fought some of the soldiers who'd survived - those who occasionally were gated into the main simulation via what the redpills liked to call a "Pandora's Box". They still didn't care where their bullets went. Neither did the winged, white suited agents of the first Matrix, when they entered our current iteration. I didn't know how these original agents had been grouped, whether these 'angels' had partners or if they'd been in teams or squads. Given the nature of the first Matrix, they couldn't have done much fighting before they were exiled.

Maybe I would ask someone who was there, someone like Seraph, if I made it out of this alive. Right now I wasn't sure about my own chances for survival, which weren't being helped by idle musings about my precursors. This wasn't how I wanted my life to end – human, chased down in a subterranean tunnel, all alone in the dark.

"Almost there, Taylor," came my contact's voice in my ear, but his final words were drowned out by more enemy fire, and the sound of something very large shattering nearby. A piece of the debris hit me in the back, knocking me down. The footsteps were getting closer, I knew I had to keep moving. I forced myself up and started running again. But then there was another loud crash, and more debris, throwing me to the ground once again.

They were right behind me. I had to get up, I had to, there were bolts of electricity flying over my head from the passageway behind me..

But their light was swallowed up by the sudden brightness from the tunnel ahead. I heard a faint scrape of metal against metal, and the unmistakable sound of heavy weapons arming. The footsteps had already stopped. The Nine9 operatives were saying something, but I couldn't make it out. Then the hovercraft let loose with a volley of weapons fire, and the voices behind me were quickly replaced by the sounds of their retreat down the tunnel.

I pulled myself to my feet, stumbling slightly. All of a sudden I was freezing.

The lights from the ship went down, going from blindingly bright to almost nothing in the blink of an eye. Now I could see the Machine elements in the hovercraft's design. It was a hybrid, combining our technology with the humans', merging smoothly into something with the potential to be better than either of its individual parts alone.

"That was too close," my contact said in relief, and I shivered. This place really was freezing. "Are you alright?"

"I'm cold."

"Don't worry, my crewmates are coming out now. You have no idea how relieved we all are. I've been relaying your progress to Agent Gray, and he and your other former colleagues are quite pleased as well."

"They knew what was happening out here?" I asked, as a hatch at the side of the hovercraft opened. There were three people shadowed in the doorway. "So they all know about me too?"

"They've known since your first meeting with Gray regarding Nine9. The Machines believed it would be best if this information was shared among their higher level personnel, including the agents."

No wonder I'd gotten so many strange looks in the Machine building. To see one of their own in this.. condition.. was probably interesting to them, in the same way a train wreck or a burning building was interesting to humans. I wrapped my arms around myself. Besides being cold, I was also starting to feel a little wobbly. Now that I didn't have adrenaline pumping through my veins, my run for my life was probably catching up to me. The human body was very limited, I thought, as the trio of Machinists approached. One of them stepped forward. Even in the dim light, I recognized the reddish tint to her hair.

I stared at her for a moment. "I should have known it would be you."

Ms. Dodson – Illyria – smiled. "Anything to help." Her smiled faded as she took another step closer. "Are you alright?'

My teeth had actually started chattering. "Cold."

Some part of me recognized that the human captain looked very worried, and that something was very, very wrong. Suddenly I was unable to stand, and I slumped forward onto the ground. Then there were hands touching me, trying to lift me up, and commands being shouted back to the ship. I heard one last thing before I blacked out.

"We need a medic down here, right now!"


	8. Chapter 8

Coming in from the Cold, Part Eight

I woke slowly, face down on soft bedding. I had no idea where I was or how long I'd been here. I blinked a few times, rubbing at my eyes, then tried to push myself up.

"No, don't try to move too much yet, you'll pop your stitches," someone said. "Let me help you up."

I did as she requested. I didn't think I'd be able to get up on my own anyway - I still felt very weak. But with a little effort (and help) I was on my side, and then sitting nearly upright against more of the soft blankets. There was a dull ache across my shoulders, which got sharper when I tried to move. I appeared to be in some kind of medical facility.

"You remember me, right?" the girl asked.

I nodded. Apart from the color of her hair, she looked much as she did in the simulation. "BrightAngel." She'd assisted Tranque and I in curing Mr. Barnsley of the Smith virus. "What happened?"

"Part of the tunnel came down on you. Made a big slice across your back," she said. "That's why you were so cold by the time we reached you, you'd lost a lot of blood." This was surprising, but I'd heard stories in the past about how some humans managed to perform extraordinary physical feats because of adrenaline, even when badly injured. That's probably how I made it to their ship. Maybe the human body wasn't so weak after all. "We got you all fixed up once we got you back here, though. Nothing like a good doctor and lots of painkillers."

That sounded right. As I thought back, I found I did have a few recollections of being in this room, but they were so hazy I might as well have had too much of that bourbon I'd come to enjoy in the simulation. "How long have I been here?" I asked.

"A few days. We brought you back to base so you could recuperate. It's not that big, but it sure beats being stuck on a hovercraft," she said. "Let me tell the captain you're awake." She turned to what I recognized as a communications console, but stopped before using it. "Er, I just need to know one thing." She looked a little uncomfortable. "Just what pronoun should I use with you? Considering you used to be a guy when you were a program and all."

BrightAngel was funny. "I've been female for a few years now, so She is fine."

She shook her head. "That's just so weird. I still can't believe you were an agent."

I smiled. "If I wasn't an agent, why else would I have helped Mr. Barnsley?"

"I just thought you were sweet on him."

Oh. That just went to whole new levels of inappropriateness. I closed my eyes against the images that were now bombarding my brain.

"Hey, are you alright? I can get the doc."

"No no, I'm fine," I said, immensely relieved when the sickbay's door opened and let in a few more people, some familiar, some not. Those I knew looked mostly like their rsi's in the simulation, apart from slightly different hairstyles and being a little paler than I was used to seeing them.

"Hello Engrailed. You're looking well," said Illyria. Strange, but those were the exact words of the Oracle the second time I met her. But that was in a crowd of other redpills at Debir court, not a private meeting, so the conversation hadn't gone much further than that. "How are you doing?"

"I'm alright, for the most part." I tried moving an arm, but stopped due to the twinge in my shoulder. "What about Nine9, and ExorCiism?"

"ExorCiism's dead, along with E1extr0n and Lishaa. Nine9's been shut down, permanently."

Ms. Dodson – Illyria - looked very satisfied when she said that, so I decided to confirm one of my suspicions. "You were the one who told the Machines about Sandra's plan, weren't you."

"Yes," she replied. "I went to Agent Gray when I realized there was something off about the whole situation. Sandra's vision of the future, with her emphasis on what she thought was best for humanity, with no room left for anything or anyone else.. at first I thought she meant to control the Matrix, like Anome wanted to do, but then I learned she wanted to shut it down, with no thought at all to the people who depend on it to survive. I couldn't let that happen."

I nodded. "Most of the bluepills would have died."

"I don't just mean the bluepills. I'm also talking about the programs within it and the Machines that need it too. Sandra wanted me to join Nine9, but I told her I'd fight to my last breath to keep her from killing all those people, no matter if those people were human or not. Then she threw the whole 'traitor-to-your-race' argument back at me, as if I hadn't heard it a thousand times before from Zion and EPN." Illyria shook her head. "When that didn't work, she offered me power. As if I would give up everything I believed in, and cause the deaths of millions or even billions, for power over a world that would be nearly dead after she and her people got through with it."

"As if," BrightAngel scoffed.

"Thankfully Rejex was able to escape from Nine9, and he was able to shut down all the viruses they'd planted in the Matrix," she said. "I think at that point they realized they'd been beaten, and they disabled their EJP's. So when we killed them in the Matrix, they died in the real. They're gone for good."

"I'm very pleased to hear they're no longer a threat." It was the truth. I was quite relieved to learn the simulation was no longer at risk, and I rested back against the pillows, looking at the group more closely, the males in particular. My contact had said he was a program, but there were ways to download into Machine bodies in the real, and even before the war there had been Machines made to look very human. "May I ask if any of you were the one helping me out there? Without the instructions I got through the comlink, I never would have made it out safely."

One of the men - HighAngel I think his name was - shook his head. "That would be Lyr's executive officer, not any of us."

"Is he here, on base? I'd like to thank him."

"Once you're strong enough to go into a construct, you can. I'm afraid you can't meet him face to face before then. He's a program, so he doesn't have a physical presence in the real world at the moment, but I can patch you into the com system so you can talk to him now."

"I'd like that."

"Alright." He tapped a few buttons on the console, bringing up a connection. "Our guest is awake, and she'd like to speak with you."

I took the mic he offered. "Hello?"

"Hello Taylor, it's good to hear your voice. How are you feeling?"

"Better than I have in a long time. Thank you for all your help."

"It was a pleasure," he replied. I could hear the relief in his tone. "We ex-agents have to stick together, after all."

"You were an agent?" I asked. I'd suspected he was a system program involved in either law enforcement or intelligence gathering, but I hadn't thought he was an agent. He certainly hadn't sounded like one. "You never told me who you were, you said it would have to wait…but now that I'm out, are you able to tell me who you are, and how you know me?"

"Prior to the truce, you knew me as Agent Benson. But since the Architect reassigned me to the Machinist organization, I've been going by Reprogrammed."

"Reprogrammed?" I repeated in dismay. I certainly hadn't expected that. "You're the one who kept threatening Mr. Barnsley with deletion."

"Yes, well.. old habits die hard," he grumbled. "I didn't think you'd listen to me if you knew who I was, so I didn't want to tell you before you were outside and safe."

I frowned. "Agent Barnsley was one of us. It wasn't his fault his code was corrupted; what happened to him could have happened to any of us."

"I know. Illyria's lectured me multiple times on the need to be kind to our exile friends, especially those few who used to be agents." The light sarcasm in his voice sounded more human than some humans. "But you have no need to be concerned for his safety, Taylor. I have no intention of deleting him."

"Good," I declared.

BrightAngel nudged the tall man at her side. "See, I told you she was sweet on him." The man nodded in agreement. Appalled, I shook my head at them, but I could feel the rush of warmth to my cheeks. Maybe I would think about this later. Much, much later.

"So," I said, hoping for a rapid change of subject. "What happens now, Mr. Benson? Where do I go from here?"

"You can stay with us, for as long as you'd like, at least until you're fully recovered," he said. "These people don't harbor the prejudices of some of the other humans you may have encountered. And you won't have to worry about someone coming after you while you're sleeping, or pulling your jack while you're in the Matrix - one of the best things about a Machine-built base or vessel is our monitoring capabilities. This is probably the safest place you've ever been, as a human." He was probably right. "But I suppose, if you really wanted, you could go back to the Cypherites."

"Oh yes, I'm sure they'd welcome another overwritten human back with open arms," I said. I could be sarcastic too. While there were a lot of good people in that organization – people like Abelinda and silenci0 and Rejex – I knew I could never trust its leaders, particularly Veil. "Considering how understanding they were when they learned about Cryptos and MetaLogic." That got a chuckle out of him. I'd never heard him laugh when we'd worked together in the past, but then, I knew he'd never heard me do it either. It appeared that the constraints on our behavior lessened whenever we became anything other than normal, active agents -- not just if we were exiled or if our code was used to overwrite a human. Mr. Benson was still a Machine program, but he no longer acted quite like an agent. And the Machines didn't seem to mind.

"Well, if not the Cypherites, you do have other options. You have Merovingian acquaintances, have you ever considered joining them?" My look of dismay was probably obvious to everyone in the room. "And then of course there's always Zion and EPN." He was obviously joking now, because the utter ridiculousness of his words was matched by the lightness in his tone. But that tone became more serious for his next words. "Or, if you wish, you can continue your work for the Machines."

I looked down. This is what I would prefer, it was familiar and comfortable, but would they still allow it, knowing what I'd become?

"Taylor, I know you've been worried about this. About how the Machines see you now. You're concerned they won't accept you anymore, that they may want to exile or delete you because of the changes in your code. Let me assure you now that they don't."

I looked up again. "How can you be sure?"

"One of the advantages of my connection to the Architect is the ability to occasionally get a straight answer out of him," he replied. His tone was lighter again. "You have nothing to fear from the Machines. They'd like you to stay, to keep working for them, but as you are now." He paused. "Even they don't know yet if it's possible to remove a sentient program from an overwritten human without killing you both. But they'd be pleased if you choose to continue your excellent service to the System, no matter if you're human or program."

From Machine to Machinist. It had possibilities. "I would like that."

"I'll let them know," Reprogrammed said. "As I said, they will be quite pleased, especially our former colleagues. Maybe not pleased enough to give you a big hug or anything, because your typical agents don't do that sort of thing…but there's a good chance that certain atypical agents might, like Andrews or Wolfram - If you catch my drift."

It took a moment for me to process what he's said. Andrews and Wolfram? I hadn't heard their names in years.. I'd searched for references to them in the Machine database after I'd become a redpill, and I'd never been able to find anything on them past a certain point. It had been something I'd tried not to think about, but if what he said was true.. "My partners? They're still alive?"

"Alive and well and living in the real world, just like you. They were part of the same overwriting program you were," he said. "Agent Wolfram was placed in Zion, and became a major advocate for peace, even after the truce ended. Agent Andrews infiltrated the Merovingian's organization, making a pretty penny while monitoring potentially harmful exiles. But given that your identity was discovered after the security breach within EPN, the Machines felt it would be safer to bring your partners in too."

"Will I get to see them again?" The real identities of all programs who took part in the overwriting was a closely guarded secret. We were never allowed to know else might be in the real with us, in case we were found out and interrogated, but now that I knew they were alive I couldn't keep the hope out of my voice. "Now that all this is over?"

"Of course you can see them. In fact, we'll be picking them up soon, by hovercraft. You can come along if you'd like."

I smiled broadly. This was more than I could have ever hoped for. To be safe, to not have to fear deletion or exile or an early death in the real, and to know my partners of all those years were safe and alive too…to not have to hide who or what I was anymore. It was almost too much. My human body was betraying me again, and I had to close my eyes to stop the moisture from escaping.

"Guys, I think we should leave Engrailed alone for a little while. She's still got a lot of healing to do, and she needs her rest," Illyria said, ushering the others out. "You just tell us if you need anything, alright?"

"I will." My eyes were still tightly shut. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied warmly. "And Engrailed? Let me be the first to welcome to the *Machinist* organization. We hope you enjoy your stay."


End file.
